This invention concerns wrappers for cylindrical bodies and in particular concerns wrappers for products which can be easily opened but at the same time should be protected from dirt, dust, moisture or other contamination while wrapped such as, for example, catamenial tampons. While the invention will be discussed specifically in terms of catamenial tampons, it will be understood that the problems toward which this invention is directed and their solution applies to many similar products, including, for example, foods, tobacco products and the like.
Catamenial tampons, and particularly those which are meant to be inserted digitally as contrasted with applicator insertion, have employed tight wrappers in which each tampon is heat sealed within a tubular sleeve of wrapping material. The wrapping serves two functions. Firstly, it prevents dirt or other foreign material from contaminating the tampon prior to use. Secondly, because these tampons of necessity comprise highly absorbent material, they tend to pick up ambient moisture and deform. The tight wrapping aids in maintaining the shape of the tampon and preventing such deformation. A tampon of the kind being described herein and a method for wrapping the same is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,856,143, issued on Dec. 24, 1974 to Stefan Simon et al.
Unfortunately, such wrappers as those described in the above-mentioned patent, while being highly effective in accomplishing the purpose of maintaining the tampons hygienically pure and deformation free, suffer from the drawback of being difficult to open when the tampon is to be used. Frequently, such tampons are provided with a tearstrip at a point about midway along the axial length of the tampon. This tearstrip generally comprises a narrow band of supportive material adhered all along the inside periphery of the wrapped tampon and ends in a tab, notched on either side. The tab is lifted and pulled and, because of the notching, tears begin to propagate in the direction of the pull. Such tears tend to neck in together toward the center of the wrapper and so will continue to do so until stopped by the supportive material. Thereafter the tears will propagate along each side of the supportive material and completely around the tampon until a narrow band of wrapper is completely removed, effectively cutting the wrapper in half. The two ends of remaining wrapper material are then removed by pulling them from the center and towards the ends of the tampon.
Unfortunately, this method of wrapping has encountered difficulties. Because the tampon is so tightly wrapped and because of the high frictional forces existing between the tampon and the inside surface of the remaining end pieces of the wrapper, it is extremely difficult to remove those end pieces. This situation is aggravated when the tampon is in a humid environment, as when stored in a bathroom or shower room. Under these circumstances, the tampon tends to swell and make the fit of the wrapper even tighter hence increasing the frictional forces resisting wrapper removal. Additionally, the outer surface of the wrapper may be moist, thus making it even more difficult to grip.
For the aforementioned reasons, there is a need for an improved tampon wrapper. Specifically, a wrapper is needed which will allow a greater portion to be removed thus leaving only a minimal amount of wrapper material on the ends of the tampon. To remove such a greater amount of material necessitates an alternative means to that of the tearstrip method described above and further requires that the wrapper material be weakened, as by means of perforations, to have the wrapper tear in a controlled manner. Unfortunately, perforations in the wrapper generally means that a flow path for dirt and contamination is created which is, of course, highly undesirable. Accordingly, a wrapper must be provided which can easily be unwrapped from the product and will not expose the product to contamination.